3.04.2014

March 4, 2014

White Dog snorted, "Fat Tuesday doesn't mean you are supposed to see how many pounds you can pack on in just one day!" Puff looked over from where she was trying to see if White Dog had eaten her dinner. Oso burped and licked his leftovers off of his nose. YoYoMa stopped surfing every one's empty bowls to come into the living room and stare. Even Michael put his fork down.

I looked at my imperial Diva and gently said, "I guess you won't be interested in crullers we baked then, the ones with the coconut custard filling?" WD arched her tail proudly over her back and squared her shoulders to show off her ruff, "I will enjoy them but I am not a chow hound," she responded. "unlike SOME of my siblings!"

"SOMEONE is sure going to have lots of repenting to do starting tomorrow," Taiko muttered, "such arrogance." "Let's be kind," I suggested.

"Fat Tuesday, did in fact start as a last day of feasting before the Christian Lenten season begins. The point was to use all of your rich ingredients like butter,eggs, milk, sugar and spices before the fasting began. Any one of the White Dog Army keen on the idea of fasting during the next few weeks?"

There was silence as the WDA furtively eyed those empty bowls.

"How about this," I suggested as I looked at White Dog, "This evening we enjoy those crullers, and some dessert cheeses with dad when he gets home. We will listen to New Orleans style jazz as we await him. Then next week we will pick a day and give up all treats, not for religious reasons, but to take a moment to remember all those two- and four-leggeds who go to bed each night hungry...those who celebrate and dream of the idea of just having enough. Tonight let us be filled with gratitude that we are among the lucky ones."

The White Ones weighed giving up treats and then thought about what I had said of our family's good fortune. As a pack, they threw back their heads, black noses pointing to the rainy heavens, and howled, "Let the good times roll!"